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The weekly memory quiz

The small details that made things work

Edition 2026-10-04

Week of 2026-10-04

Five quick questions, no timer and no sign-up. Start with what you recognize; each answer opens a little more of the story.

1. What does the center tube in a coffee percolator carry upward? Coffee grounds Hot water Fresh air

Water rises through the tube, spreads over the grounds and returns to the pot. Read the story and sources.

2. In Bissell’s 1876 carpet-sweeper patent, what drives the brush? Wheels turned by your push An electric fan A wound-up spring

The floor wheels engage a pinion that turns the brush; the person pushing supplies the power. Read the story and sources.

3. How does a classic Etch A Sketch make its line? It deposits ink It lights a row of pixels It clears a path through powder

An internal stylus clears the coating behind the screen. Shaking redistributes the material. Read the story and sources.

4. What does an ordinary UPC-A barcode encode? The store’s current price A product identification number The shopper’s name

It encodes a GTIN. The store’s system uses that identifier to retrieve product information. Read the story and sources.

5. What can a maker’s label establish more reliably than a costume photograph alone? Who wore it most happily What the buyer actually paid The named manufacturer

A visible design does not prove who made an outfit. A surviving label supplies a separate piece of evidence. Read the story and sources.

A little yesterday, in your week

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